Love and Adventure-An EO4 Story
by wickedlovely89
Summary: Molly only wants to explore so that she can provide for herself and her little brother. She has no use for love, and for Nightseekers in particular. Then Zarek joins her guild. Now, she must balance leadership, sisterhood, and her heart, all while trying to solve the impossible puzzle the Count has set for her. Will she succeed, or will her feelings for Zarek get in her way?
1. Chapter 1

I was replaying EO4, and like I always do, I created little mini back stories for my characters. The stories wouldn't leave my head, and I wrote them down. Now I've decided to share them all with you. My characters are-

Molly-17 yo Landsknecht, first female portrait, regular coloring, guild leader

Max-Molly's 13 yo Medic brother, second male portrait, regular coloring

Grace-19 yo Fortress, second female portrait, alternate coloring

Dorian-22 yo Runemaster, first male portrait, alternate coloring

Zarek-21 yo Nightseeker, first male portrait, alternate coloring

Gabrianna-19 yo Dancer, second female portrait, regular coloring

And any of the assorted NPCs in the game. If I add new characters into the guild, I'll let you know which portrait I use, and which coloring I use.

All that out of the way, I don't know how long I'll keep this going; hopefully I'll be able to finish it, but I won't make promises. I'm also terrible at deadlines, so I won't make any. Sorry.

Finally, this is a work of fiction, and EO4 and all related characters, names, places, etc. belong to ATLUS, and not myself. Criticisms are appreciated, and will be used to make my writing better. Please and Thank you!

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"Molly! Look, there's Tharsis!"

I looked up and followed the line of my little brother's finger as he pointed at the city we were headed to. It sat in the middle of a flat plain, below the rise of land we were standing on. It was walled, to keep monsters out, and much larger and more opulent than the small village we were from.

Max bounded ahead, and my eyes flicked around the area, worried about monsters even so close to Tharsis. We were so close to our goal destination, and it wouldn't do for one of us to get hurt now. Not that Max was useless in a fight, but he was a Medic, and a young one at only 13.

"Careful, Max!" I called as I descended the rise after him. Max's purple hair shone in the sun as he slowed and looked behind him, grinning, and his brown eyes flashing. Max may have been only four years younger than me, but he sometimes acted younger than that. Which was probably my fault, honestly.

Our mother died a few years after Max was born, from pneumonia, and our father had to work long hours in the field and garden, so it was left to me to look after Max. And I admit that I let him get away with a lot. He wasn't a brat by any means, but he sometimes didn't think things through. One of the few things he did take seriously was his Medic training and duties. I think that he feels guilty that Mom died, so he decided to pursue a career where he could help people.

Max may be my little brother, but we look nothing alike. He's tall for his age, as tall as me, and I'm 17. He's got Mom's violet hair and Dad's brown eyes, and I have Dad's blue-black hair and Mom's dark blue eyes. I'm stubborn and serious like my dad, and Max is just like Mom, free-spirited and always laughing.

I'm not entirely sure when I knew I wanted to be an explorer; I only know that sitting at home day after day, either married to a farmer or working my family's farm, holds no appeal for me. I wanted to go out and see the world. I also don't know what made me pick up a sword the first time, but since then, I've practiced the way of the Landsknecht. Dad was furious when he found out. I'm a girl, and the oldest. It's my duty to marry into a good family, and to stay home and raise children, or that's what my dad says. I'm not supposed to want to be an explorer, and most definitely not a front-lines offensive explorer. I suspect that Dad may have been more okay with it if I had been a Runemaster or Medic, or even a Sniper, which are traditionally women's jobs. But I chose a man's job. He said I shamed him, and my mother's memory.

So I left. I set out for Tharsis, where they hired explorers regardless of gender. I didn't know that Max would follow me, but I wasn't sending him back alone, and I definitely wasn't returning to our village to bring him back. Not yet.

So here we were, two teenagers from a tiny village, several miles away from the largest city in the Outlands of Etria, on our way to becoming explorers. Hopefully.

It would have been easier for me to get a place in a guild if I was alone. With Max, it would be harder. Sure, he was a Medic, but he was young, and had never really seen battle before. Even if a guild accepted both of us, they probably wouldn't send us out together, and I wasn't comfortable with being separated from my little brother, not in a strange city where we didn't know anyone.

I sighed, pushing the thought out of my head as I trailed Max. One thing at a time—we actually had to make it to Tharsis first, and then we had to locate the guildmaster.

The next few hours were mostly uneventful. Max and I walked, Max chattering on the entire time about all the adventures we'd have. We passed a few other travelers, but nobody talked to us, and we didn't speak to them. We even saw a couple of groups of explorers, and Max stared open-mouthed at them every time, until a male Nightseeker with long white hair glared at him. Max blanched before hurrying ahead. I sent the Nightseeker my own glare for scaring Max, but the Nightseeker just swept his green eyes over me before smirking appreciatively. I felt myself beginning to blush and opened my mouth to tell him to keep his eyes to himself, but one of his guild mates, a Dancer by the looks of her, inserted herself in front of him and gave him a simpering smile.

Scolding myself for getting sidetracked, I followed after Max. I didn't like Nightseekers. They were assassins, and relied mostly on tricks when they fought. They didn't respond well to authority, and usually only looked out for themselves. I sincerely hoped that the guild Max and I joined didn't have any Nightseekers. Or if they did, that Max and I wouldn't be paired with any.

Against my better judgment, I looked back over my shoulder after the Nightseeker. He had his arm around the Dancer, but his eyes were on the back of my skirt. I automatically reached behind me and pulled on the hem of the blue plaid, and he raised his eyes to mine and cocked an eyebrow, that arrogant smirk still in place. I turned and lifted my chin, walking to the gates of the city where Max was waiting for me. I tried focusing on what we were here to do, but I could feel the Nightseeker's eyes on me the entire way.

I must have still looked flushed, because once I caught up to Max, he frowned and reached out to feel my forehead. "You ok, Molly?"

I brushed him off. "I'm fine. C'mon, we need to find the guildmaster." We made our way to the guards at the gate, Max looking like he didn't completely believe me. I ignored him and addressed the guard. "Hi, my name is Molly, and this is my brother, Max. We're explorers, and we're here to speak with the guildmaster."

The guard sighed, not looking up from the papers he was reading. "More for the Yggdrasil exploration? Just go down the main road and you'll reach the Explorer's Guild. It's a great big stone building. You can't miss it."

I waited a moment more, sure there was more information coming, but when it became clear that the guard was done talking, I led Max through the gate.

"What did he mean by Yggdrasil exploration?" Max asked as he kept pace beside me. He was looking every which way, trying to take in all the sights at once. I pulled him back just before he ran into a merchant sweeping in front of his store.

"I don't know. We'll find out when we get to the Explorer's Guild. Watch where you're going." Max nodded, still gaping at our surroundings.

We made it to the Explorer's Guild without further incident, and walked into the large stone entryway. The guard had been right—the Guild was huge, and made completely of stone, unlike many of the buildings around it. Several explorers and groups of explorers were standing around the hall, talking, reading notes, or organizing their supplies. Max followed me up to the desk, and I asked to see the guildmaster. The receptionist pointed to a large, robust man with gray hair and piercing blue eyes.

"Stay quiet and let me do the talking," I told Max as we made our way over to him. He was just finishing speaking to a Dancer and a Sniper, so Max and I waited.

"… And I don't care what happened, he's your leader, and you need to figure it out with him."

The small Dancer piped up, an angry look on her face. "But he's demanding that she apologize! She didn't—"

"Then apologize, damn it!" The guildmaster's roar made me jump, though the Dancer and Sniper didn't so much as flinch. "I'm here to keep track of the guilds and their members, not settle dating disputes! You need to figure it out yourselves!" The Sniper burst into tears and buried her head on the Dancer's shoulder, who gave the guildmaster a dirty look and led her friend away. The guildmaster tugged on his mustache, muttering to himself.

"Damn the Count! This ridiculous challenge of his is filling my hall with nothing but hormonal teenagers and treasure-hungry nimrods! Not a decent fighter among them..." He seemed to realize Max and I were standing next to him, and he focused his laser-like eyes on us. "What do you want? More dating drama? Go ask your mother your questions!" He turned to leave, but stopped when I spoke quietly.

"This is my brother, and our mother died ten years ago. We're here to become explorers and join a guild."

The guildmaster turned back to us, something flickering in his eyes. "Are you now? What are you training as? Landsknecht and Medic, is it?" I nodded, not breaking his gaze. "Well, we could always use Medics, but I'll need to see your form, Landsknecht. We're overflowing with Landsknechts, and we can only take the decent ones."

"My sister is the best Landsknecht in our village! She's better than all the boys!" Max said hotly, glaring at the guildmaster.

"Max!" I hissed as the guildmaster shifted his gaze to my brother, who wilted slightly.

"She is, huh? We'll see about that. This way, lass." Max and I followed the guildmaster, who kept talking in his gruff, no-nonsense manner. "My name's Leopold, by the way. Go by Leo. I just need you to go through the basic motions and moves that you know. I'll be able to tell if you have any real skill. The kid here, we can get him in with a guild right away. Like I said, we're always looking for Medics. You, lass, if you pass, may have to wait awhile before I can find a guild for you."

Max gave me a worried look, but I shook my head. I'd bring up us being placed together once I'd proven myself. Leo led us into a small training room and took his place by one wall with Max by his side.

I dropped my bag and pulled out my sword, stepping to the middle of the room. I swung my sword a few times, stepping as I did so, to warm up my muscles. And then, I moved into my training sequence. Everything else fell away as I thrust and sliced, whirling and parrying against invisible attackers. One of the things that made me different from many Landsknechts was that I didn't stand still. Most Landsknechts stood and waited for the attackers to come to them; I chased the attackers, and I danced around them, making it harder for them to hit me. I could have been a Dancer, with the way I moved, but I wasn't made for support. I was made to be right on the front lines.

Almost two hours had passed before Leo roared "Enough!" I whirled one last time, slashing my blade down, then turned and made my way over to them. Max met me halfway with a bottle of water, but I waved him away. I wiped sweat from my brow and sheathed my sword as I came to stand in front of the guildmaster, who was perusing me from under his bushy gray eyebrows. He nodded his head.

"Well done, lass," he said gruffly. "You're a little rough. Not very refined, but that's to be expected if you're from a village. But you're better than most I've seen. I think we can add you right to the list."

I nodded. "Just one thing, sir." Leo looked at me. "Max and I have to be placed together."

Leo frowned at me. "I don't think that's possible. Not many guilds are taking one explorer, let alone two. And like I said, not many guilds looking for Landsknechts these days."

I crossed my arms, giving the guildmaster a level stare. "Max is all I have, and I'm all he has. We need to be placed together. If you can't do that, we'll leave." Max gave me a wide-eyed stare, and I almost expected the guildmaster to start yelling again. I was surprised when he sighed instead.

"I stopped accepting new guilds because I got tired of training every Jim, Dick, and Bob who walked through my door. However, you have some real skill, and you seem to have a good head on your shoulders." He tugged on his mustache again and looked off into the distance, muttering unintelligibly for a few minutes, before he looked back at me. "Get you three more explorers, and I'll register you as a guild. You can stay with your brother."

I blinked. I hadn't expected him to give me a guild of my own; I just wanted to be placed with my brother. "Really?" I asked stupidly. Leo chuckled.

"Aye. You've got talent, and you don't let people walk all over you." His eyes softened slightly. "You remind me of my daughter, you do. She didn't want no pansy girl job, either. She was a Fortress, stronger than most men."

I lowered my eyes, aware of the implications of him using the past tense. Such subtleties escaped Max, of course.

"Where is your daughter?" he asked brightly. I flinched.

"Disappeared on a mission. She was training new recruits for her guild, and they were ambushed. She knew the recruits wouldn't last long, so she sent them back using an Ariadne Thread. She never came home. That was almost twenty years ago. Most believed she died." Max looked horror-struck.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. Leo shook his head.

"Don't be. She was too passionate to die. Loved life too much. She'll be home one day." He looked back to me. "What's your name, lass?"

"Molly. This is Max."

Leo nodded. "Head to the Dancing Peacock. It's a pub down the street; ask for Kirtida, she's the proprietress. Tell her Leo sent you, and you're creating a guild. She'll let you know if there are any explorers looking to join a guild."

I frowned. "I thought explorers came here to join a guild?" Leo headed back to the hall, and Max and I followed.

"Aye, but many don't like when I tell them they'll be put on a waiting list. The Dancing Peacock is a pub popular with guilds, and some free explorers think waiting down there is a good chance to find one that's hiring."

"But you just said you had a waiting list," Max chimed in. "Why can't you just assign us explorers?" It was a good question, even if it was—as usual for Max—impertinent. Leo laughed, a great, deep, rolling sound.

"Inquisitive, are you? Aye, I do. But I've also told them that I'm not authorizing new guilds. If I pull a few to join the same guild, then the rest will know, and they'll all want their own guilds, the snot-nosed mongrels." The last part was growled at a passing Runemaster, no older than 11. The boy jumped and ran down the hall.

As we headed for the door, Leo stopped us. "Be careful. Society is slowly opening up more to women in more non-traditional jobs, but some people still prefer the old ways. And even some of the more open-minded people won't be okay with a female guild leader. A few men might even try to muscle their way into the leader position once they've joined."

We nodded and thanked Leo, and told him we'd be back before making our way to the Dancing Peacock.


	2. Chapter 2

The Dancing Peacock was a long, low building nestled between a grocer's store and a clothing shop. Like most of the buildings in Tharsis, it was made of wood; a wooden sign hung over the door, and a peacock was painted on it. When Max and I entered, a small bell above the door rang, and a bright, accented voice called out.

"Welcome to the Dancing Peacock!"

After my eyes had adjusted to the dimly lit interior, I was surprised at the difference between the inside and outside. While the outside was wooden and shabby, the inside was lush, with painted plaster walls hung with paintings, overstuffed couches, and lamps draped with gauzy scarves. A woman stood behind the counter, filling mugs with beer. She had black hair, lavender eyes, and cinnamon brown skin, and she was dressed in the tiny undergarments and gauzy, jingly pants that Dancers preferred, though she looked a little too old to be an explorer. She was still beautiful, though, and I glanced at Max before popping him on the back of the head. He had been staring at the woman's ample chest, and his face was beet-red. I assumed the woman was Kirtida, the proprietress, and I couldn't very well ask her to cover up in her own pub. Therefore, I had to ride herd on my hormonal brother. I pointed him to an empty corner, directing him to speak to no one and to _stop staring_. He gave a mumbled apology before hurrying over to the corner and sitting with his head down as I walked up and took a seat at the bar.

The woman smiled at me. "Are you new here? I don't think we've met. My name is Kirtida." I smiled.

"My name is Molly. Leo sent me to see you." Kirtida raised an elegant eyebrow and I continued, lowering my voice. "I've been given permission to start my own guild and he said you could help." Now both of her eyebrows were raised.

"Leopold the guildmaster? He doesn't let anyone register guilds anymore."

"Tell him that. He told me to ask for you specifically, and that you'd help me find guild mates."

Kirtida studied me for a few moments before something flickered in her face. "Clara…"

I frowned. "No, my name is Molly."

Kirtida shook her head. "Sorry, I was not calling you Clara. Clara was my best friend and guild mate, and she was Leo's daughter. You have the same look in your eyes that she did, and Leo must have seen it." She studied me a moment more before glancing at my brother.

"Landsknecht and Medic? You'll need three guild mates, I assume?"

I nodded, slightly taken aback at her change in demeanor. She gave me a small smile.

"If Leo broke one of his one rules for you, the least I can do is help." She filled two mugs with beer and set them on the bar in front of me. "I'll get the cook to whip something up for you and your brother. It may take a while before the free explorers start showing up."

I thanked her and picked up the mugs, carrying them back to Max, who was still studiously avoiding the bar. Once I had sat down and handed him his beer, he started grilling me on what Kirtida and I had talked about. I told him about the conversation, and he perked up at the mention of the guildmaster's daughter.

"Her name was Clara?" I nodded. "That was Mom's name. Do you think their Clara is our Mom?" I tried not to sound exasperated when I answered.

"No, Max. Mom's name was Claire, not Clara, and Mom was a farmer's daughter from a different town. She wasn't some pseudo-legendary Fortress."

"But if she was, then maybe that's where you got your fighting talent from!" He sounded excited. I knew Max had always had a hard time with Mom being gone, and he'd been very interested in her family, until Dad told him to drop it, and that they were all gone.

"But she's not. My talent is a fluke of nature. Let it go." Max opened his mouth to argue some more, but I glared at him. He picked up his mug and took a sip from it, sulking. I rolled my eyes.

After about twenty minutes, plates of steaming Tharsis duck and mutton were brought to the table, with sides of baby carrots and oyster shrooms. We enjoyed the meal, having lived off of dried food for most of our trip, and I had to stop Max from drinking any more beer after his second mug. The beer wasn't particularly strong, but Max had only been allowed to drink it for the last two years, and I didn't want him vomiting all over the nice couches. After we ate, we spent the rest of the time watching people come and go, with Max making guesses on what our new guild mates would be like.

A few hours after we had arrived, I saw Kirtida heading our way with a blonde girl around my age in tow. Her hair was shorter than mine; mine just brushed my shoulders, but hers curled under her chin. She was dressed in the armor of a Fortress. I nudged Max, who had been slouching with his head on a hand, and he looked over at me before following my gaze and then sitting up straight.

"Molly, this is Grace." Kirtida explained once they had reached the table. Kirtida looked around furtively, before adding, "Grace is a Fortress and she's just been fired from her guild, poor dear." Grace gave a wide grin, her eyes, which I could now see were a lighter blue than mine, sparkling mischievously.

"Kirtida here told me that you were the best when it came to cheering people up, and I need to be cheered up," Grace said, winking.

She didn't seem to need cheering up to me, but I caught the gist of what they were doing, so I smiled sympathetically and gestured to the chair across from us. "Please, sit. We'll share a beer in commiseration." Max was looking back and forth between me and Grace, puzzled, but luckily didn't say anything. Kirtida smiled gracefully.

"I'll be back with three more mugs."

Grace nodded and sat down as the proprietress left. She looked over at Max. "Who's the kid?" she asked, not unkindly.

Of course, Max bristled. "I'm not a kid! I'm—"

"Thirteen years old, so yes, you're still a kid. This is my brother Max."

Grace nodded before looking me over. "How old are you, then?"

Weird question, but I answered. "Seventeen." Then, believing it was fair to turn the question around, I asked her, "You?"

She grinned again. "Nineteen."

I nodded, and we sat in awkward silence while Kirtida brought our mugs out. After she'd left, Grace grinned again.

"You've never been in a guild before, have you?"

I looked up at her, wrapping my hands around my mug, and shook my head. "That obvious?"

She laughed. "A little. Most guild leaders would want to know exactly why I was fired from my last guild."

I frowned. "Why were you fired from your last guild?"

Grace took a deep drink of her beer before answering. "For the same reason I was fired from the two guilds before that—guild mates were misogynistic bastards. Second lesson—always ask how many guilds the explorer has been a part of, and find out which ones, if you can."

Max frowned next to me. "If your guild mates were the problem, why were you fired?"

Grace's gaze flicked to Max, and she pointed at him. "Lesson three. Have one guild leader, and one guild leader only. No secondary leaders or co-leaders, especially one as young as him. No offense, kid, and I don't really mind, but if you pipe up during all your sister's interviews, she'll lose all of her respect as a leader." She sat back and took a shorter sip of her beer. "That being said, I told my guild mates they were misogynistic bastards, and when my leader told me to apologize because I was wrong, I called him a misogynistic bastard, too."

I couldn't help laughing into my mug. Max looked at me darkly as Grace's grin widened. "We'll get along great, then, because I'm definitely not a misogynistic bastard. Any other lessons?"

Grace shrugged. "A couple. The only ones you should know about right now are make sure that whichever team you build, it's balanced, and also make sure the new recruit is someone who'll fit in well with the guild. It'll be hard to make sure the guild is all cohesive and crap right now though, considering we're still new. That'll get better the longer we're around."

Max leaned forward on his elbows. "We?"

The blonde Fortress gave a bright smile. "Yes. I accept. I'll join your guild. Most guilds need a Fortress, and your sister is kind of lost about how guilds work. So I'll help her."

I felt a wave of relief; I hadn't realized it, but I had been apprehensive of being the leader of my own guild. I appreciated Grace's offer to help, but Max wasn't so sold.

"You just said she can't have a co-leader or secondary leader," he pointed out.

Grace shook her head. "I'm not a leader. Don't want to be. Molly can make the decisions and all that leader crap. But as the only person here who's been in a guild, I'm telling her that she can ask me for advice, and I'll give it to her."

I elbowed Max gently. "Be nice. She's offering to help us, and I'll probably need to ask for a lot of advice."

Max mumbled something to himself before responding. "Fine, but can our next recruit be a guy? I don't want the guild to be all-estrogen."

Grace and I laughed, and even Max cracked a smile. Once we'd calmed down a little, Grace asked another question.

"Did you have any idea how you wanted to build the guild?"

"Build the guild?"

"She means what kinds of explorers we want in the guild," I explained to Max. To Grace, I said, "Well, we have a Landsknecht, Fortress, and Medic, so we have offense, defense, and health recovery covered." I thought for a moment. "We should probably have a Runemaster and a specialist." I wrinkled my nose. The only two decent specialist jobs were Dancers and Nightseekers. Some Dancers were okay, but it was a popular job with girls, and most were terrible at it. They'd turned the job into a mockery. And Nightseekers…

"What're you thinking about?" Grace asked. It was Max who answered.

"Dancers and Nightseekers. She doesn't like them."

Grace made a face. "I don't blame her. I'm not fond of them myself." She caught my gaze. "The question is, do we want some idiotic bimbo or lazy playboy, or do we want a raging slut or arrogant jerk? It's pretty much pick the lesser of two evils."

Max furrowed his brow. "Who's who?"

"Female Dancers are bimbos, male Dancers are playboys, female Nightseekers are sluts, and male Nightseekers are jerks," I explained absently. Grace smirked.

"Oh," was all that Max said. Then: "Well, I vote for the bimbo or the slut."

Grace burst into laughter as I smacked Max on the back of the head. Hard.

"I raised you better than to talk like that!" I looked darkly at him as he rubbed the spot I'd smacked. "You don't get a vote now." I turned back to Grace, who was still laughing, though she was making the effort to sober up. "Bimbos and sluts are out. I don't want to hear any insipid babbling on the battlefield, and I'd run the slut through with my sword the first time she came onto my brother."

Grace erupted into giggles again. "So either a playboy or a jerk."

I leaned my head back, groaning. "I don't want to get hit on any more than I want Max to be hit on. But I really don't like Nightseekers…"

Grace sat back, thinking, her blue eyes still twinkling merrily. I took another draught on my beer, draining it, and then I reached for Max's.

"Hey!"

I pointed at him. "No vote."

He scowled at me, but remained quiet.

"I think that a—"

"Ah, here they are! These are the girls I was telling you about, Dorian!"

Grace was cut off by the sound of Kirtida's voice. We both looked up and saw her leading a tall young man, around our age and dressed in a Runemaster's robes, to our table. He was blushing profusely, and wouldn't meet our gaze.

Kirtida grinned mischievously. "These are the lovely, single young ladies I mentioned to you! Ladies, this is Dorian! This gentleman was just telling me how much he needed a girlfriend, and I immediately thought of you two!" Grace's face was red from holding her laughter, and the corners of my lips were twitching as I fought my own smile. Max just stared at Kirtida dumbfounded, and poor Dorian looked like he might die from mortification where he stood. Kirtida smiled widely and picked up the empty mugs on the table. "I'll bring some refills and snacks right out!"

Dorian had brown hair that went just passed his shoulders, with lavender eyes. I couldn't really see his build under his Runemaster robes, but he was fairly tall. He gingerly sat down next to Grace, who was shaking uncontrollably, hand clamped over her mouth. He looked at her exasperatedly before addressing me.

"You're Molly?" I nodded, and he continued. "Are you really looking for guild mates, or was that just an extremely clever ploy to get me over here for a date?" At that, Grace lost it, bursting into laughter, tears streaming down her face. I giggled, and even Max grinned. Poor Dorian looked completely bewildered.

"Yes, we really do need guild mates," I said, after I'd regained a modicum of control. "That dating thing was the ploy Kirtida used to get you over here. You know I'm Molly. I'm the leader of the guild, and this is my brother, Max, and our guild mate, Grace."

Dorian nodded as Kirtida set down four mugs and a plate of buffalo bites in front of us. "Need anything else?" she asked.

"No, thanks, Kirtida. Thank you for everything you've done to help us." I smiled up at her. The proprietress stared at me for a minute, paling slightly, before she shook her head and smiled back.

"I'll see what I can do about one more boyfriend for you girls." And with a wink, she swept back over the bar, her coin belt tinkling.

I laughed, setting Grace off again, after she'd just managed to calm down, and I started on Dorian's interview.

How old was he? Twenty-two. How many guilds had he been in? One. Why did he leave? He'd found out that his guild leader was involved in criminal matters, and wanted no part of it. I frowned at this point, unsure of where to go next, before I was struck with a thought.

"Would you be able to work with a female guild leader, and one who's younger than you?" Dorian looked slightly surprised before he shrugged. Next to him, Grace gave me a satisfied nod and smile.

"As long as you're honest and a decent person, I have no issues with you being a girl or younger."

I nodded. Good. "You'll get twenty percent of any en we make, but you'll also have to buy your own weapons and armor. Is that okay?"

Dorian stared at me, his mouth slightly open, and even Grace looked shocked.

"Is that—is that not okay?" I asked worriedly. I had thought about it, and if we had a guild of five people (the minimum required for an exploration party), and each person got twenty percent, then nobody would get paid more than another. And frankly, I was terrible at math, and I didn't feel like fighting with decimals and percents to figure out how to make it even.

Dorian glanced at Grace. "You didn't know that when you joined?"

Grace slowly shook her head, still staring at me. "We hadn't gotten around to discussing it yet… Molly are you sure? That's a lot of en…"

"Is it? I didn't want to pay you too little…"

"Even the most generous leaders only pay like two percent. The leader gets double what the regular guild mates get, and the rest goes to weapons and armor and supplies."

"Granted, their weapons and armor usually suck," Grace added, "but at least everyone is equipped. Aren't you worried we'll take our en and go whoring and gambling? That we won't buy any armor or weapons?"

I shrugged. I hadn't thought about that, actually. "I'll trust everyone to buy their own supplies and equipment, and if there are too many incidents where someone's equipment is lacking, I'll tighten the reins. Deal?"

"Fortress ain't no fool. Deal." She nodded to punctuate her agreement.

Dorian was slower to answer. "It'd be nice to have decent equipment. I have no problems with this arrangement. Deal."

I grinned, and Max spoke up.

"I like en, so I'm good too." I held up my hand to block him out.

"No vote."

"_Still_?! But Molly—"

"No. Vote." I turned to Dorian. "Do you have any questions for us?"

He shrugged, glancing at all of us. "I can tell your professions by looking at you, but how old are you? It doesn't really matter, more just curiosity."

Grace answered him. "I'm nineteen, Molly is seventeen, and squirt there is thirteen."

Max grit his teeth next to me. "Can we stop with the nicknames, please?"

Grace grinned evilly. "No vote."

"_What_?"

Grace and I laughed, and Dorian looked mildly amused.

"You don't like nicknames?" he asked. Max shook his head, glaring at Grace and I. "Then I shall only call you Max." He gave a quick smile to Max, who deflated slightly.

We spent a few more hours talking and getting to know each other, while Kirtida kept the refills coming. Grace was from a merchant family in Tharsis, and an only child; Dorian was from the other side of Etria, and his parents worked for the Count of their city. He had three sisters, which I figured was why he was okay with having a female leader. Max and I told them a bit about ourselves. We also let Dorian know that I had been given special permission to start a brand new guild, so I was still learning. I had been apprehensive about telling him that, but he just shrugged.

"Everyone has to start somewhere," was all that he said.

Kirtida sent several more men, and women, to our table as the afternoon turned to evening, and then to night. Maybe it was just because we were slowly getting drunker, but nobody seemed to fit. Some men walked away when they learned the leader was a seventeen year old girl, and others when they realized that neither I nor Grace would be up for some on-the-side 'fun,' as they called it. Others we sent away because they'd had serious issues with their last guild, or didn't seem to take exploring as seriously as the four of us did. As one person after another left our table, I slowly became discouraged. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea, becoming a guild leader.


	3. Chapter 3

Just after midnight, I decided to call it a night. I was getting a headache, and we all needed to sleep, since we had find our fifth guild mate the next day, and then register with the Explorer's Guild. I sent Dorian to the nearby local inn, Saehrimnir Inn, with Max and Grace, while I paid our tab. Kirtida gave me a small smile as she rang me out.

"No luck?"

"No. We'll try again tomorrow. Can we still use that table? Quite a few people know now, so you shouldn't have to advertise for us anymore."

"Of course! And I would be happy to advertise if you need it, or if I spot someone who would be a good addition." She handed me the receipt and I dug the en out of my coin purse and handed it to her.

"Thanks, Kirtida. We'll see you tomorrow," I said, and headed for the door.

"Not before noon!" she called back at me, and I waved, smiling.

"Not before noon."

Dorian had told me how to get to the inn two streets over, so I started walking, thinking. Two new guild mates within the first few hours wasn't a bad start. Especially two guild mates like Grace and Dorian. They were both good people from what I had seen, but I did acknowledge that I had yet to see them fight. If they didn't do well in battle, I may have to fire them, which I really didn't want to do.

I also decided that after we found our fifth guild mate, I would stop recruiting. I was new to this, after all, and I didn't want to try to handle my own team, plus another team that worked under a lieutenant that I chose. Once I got more comfortable in my role, then maybe I'd expand, but for now, five seemed like a perfect number.

The night was clear and mild, with a gentle breeze blowing through. I was from further south than Tharsis, and it was hotter in my village at this time of spring. I savored the smells on the breeze, of dinner hours ago, and the faint smell of flowers. The breeze shifted, and I caught a faint whiff of something else—sandalwood. At the same time, I became aware of footsteps behind me.

I purposely kept my stride even, as hard as it was. I must have drank more than I realized. Maybe this wasn't a murderer or mugger? But I slowly put my hand on the hilt of my sword, making it seem like a gesture of habit than a preparation to draw it. Just after we had turned the corner, I spotted a flower bush growing along next to a house, and I stopped and bent over, trying not to fall and pretending to smell one of the blooms as I tightened my grip on my sword.

My stalker slowed, then came to a stop behind me, and I whirled around, drawing my sword and aiming it at his neck—or rather, I tried to do that. My blade passed right in front of my assailant's face, leaving him unscathed. I lost my already wobbly balance, and would have fallen, had a strong hand not gripped my arm painfully and pulled me upright, flush against the assailant's chest.

I had dropped my sword, and I reached in vain for the dagger on the other side of my belt as I struggled weakly in the arms holding me captive. As I realized I wasn't being molested or mauled, I stopped struggling and tried to focus on the chest in front of me. Black leather top, red (I think?) leather coat, lots of straps, a few strands of straight white hair hanging over the shoulders. Tall—very tall. Male, definitely male. And the smell of sandalwood—

"Have you stopped trying to kill me, then?" The voice was deep and held a quality that made it seem seductive, even though it was laced with amusement at the moment. I tried to focus on the mouth asking the question. Oh, bad idea. I was still a virgin, and had never really cared much for boys, but those lips… Those lips were absolutely kissable, even while twisted in an arrogant smirk. Eager to see the rest of his face, I looked further up. Straight, aquiline nose. Green eyes a shade between emerald and peridot. Dark brows. White hair that looked feather-soft. And as I took in his features as a whole, recognition hit me, and I shoved against his chest, breaking his grip on me.

"You!"

The Nightseeker crossed his now-empty arms over his chest. "Were you expecting the Outland Count?"

"Stop following me!" I bent over and picked up my sword, returning it to its scabbard, before I glared at him. His lips curved into that arrogant smile.

"Why, I was just returning to my room at the inn when you tried to murder me, before falling into my arms. I've never had quite that effect on women, but I admit that I rather enjoyed it."

"What do you want, Nightseeker?" I asked harshly. The almost-fall and sudden movement of shoving him away from me, followed by the bending to pick up my sword, had upset my stomach, and I could feel the beer trying to claw its way up my throat.

He arched one dark eyebrow, looking smug. "I told you, I'm on my way to the inn. I'm currently in search of a bed to keep me warm while I sleep off the hangover I'm sure to have tomorrow."

He was drunk? He seemed much more sober than I was. I realized he was still talking, and I focused back on him. His eyes swept down the length of my body, and a cocky grin appeared on his face.

"You know, it is fairly chilly tonight. I could use a partner to help warm my bed, and well, here you are. And since you're sure to have a hangover tomorrow as well, you won't wake me in the morning, because you'll be passed out as well."

I stared at him, trying to figure out the emotions fighting with my nausea. Disgust? Yes, that was disgust. Amusement. Was it funny? I guess to my drunken mind it was. Excitement? Where had that come from? And—was that _longing_?! Oh, hell.

"Leave me alone, Nightseeker." That came out much less angry and more… tired than I intended it to. I placed a hand on my stomach, in the hope that it'd, I don't know, stop trying to make me vomit in front of this gorgeous, infuriating man.

"I do have a name, you know. You don't have to call me 'Nightseeker' all the time."

"What?" I asked bluntly. He sighed.

"I said, I do have a na—"

I waved my hand, cutting him off. "I heard that part. I meant what's your name?" He looked at me almost suspiciously before answering.

"Zarek."

"Great. I'm Molly. Nice to meet you. I'll be going now. Good-bye." I turned to finish walking back to the inn, clutching my stomach and praying I didn't hurl, when _of course_ I stumbled, and _of course_ two strong hands gripped my shoulders and steadied me.

"Are you okay?" he asked. This had to be some alcohol-induced delusion. Yes, that was it. I was passed out drunk somewhere, having delusions about an attractive, _nice_ Nightseeker named Zarek. Well, if that was the case, then I was gonna flirt up a storm, nausea be damned. He was a delusion, and delusions didn't care if you vomited on them. So I leaned back against him, resting my head on his shoulder as I looked into his eyes.

"I'm a little drunk, and I think I need help back to my room. Would you be so kind?" If he was surprised, he hid it well, and grinned down at me.

"Kitten, I don't know which room is yours, but I'm more than happy to take you back to my room." And with that, he looped an arm behind my shoulders and under my knees, and lifted me effortlessly into the air. I shrieked as he started walking.

"I can walk! I just need help doing it!" I protested, though I secretly enjoyed the feel of his arms wrapped around me. He gave me another cocky grin.

"Or I can carry you and we get there faster. Plus, you'll be less likely to vomit this way."

I gave him my best glare, and he laughed, which sounded delightful.

"You know, if you're carrying me, it'll be harder to dodge the vomit if I do throw up."

Zarek shrugged. "If that's the price I pay for having a beautiful woman warm my bed, then so be it."

I grumbled under my breath, leaning my head against his shoulder. The scent of sandalwood was much stronger, and mixed with the scent of the leather from his clothes and the cheap beer that he had been drinking. I turned my head and inhaled, and I could feel his shoulders shaking.

"What?"

"Are you smelling me?" The amusement was back in his voice, and I felt the blush rising in my cheeks.

"No. You smell good. Shut up." I babbled. He laughed again.

I must have passed out briefly, because before I knew it, we were inside an inn, Zarek whispering to someone as they walked down a hall and up a flight of stairs. Down another hall, we stopped and there was the jingling of keys. I started squirming in Zarek's arms as my nausea started back up with a vengeance, but he only tightened his grip and thanked whoever had unlocked the door.

The other person left, and Zarek entered the room, kicking the door closed behind him, and I pushed against him.

"Put me down put me down put me down!" He looked down at me surprised as he set me on my feet. The room spun for a moment and I clamped my hand over my mouth, scanning the blurry room.

Nope. No time to find the wash basin. Window would do. I stumbled to the window and jerked it open just in time for everything I'd eaten and drank that day to make a spectacular reappearance. I could hear Zarek laughing as I unloaded my stomach, and I gave him a rude gesture behind my back, which of course made him laugh harder.

Several minutes later, when I only had dry heaves left, I felt a warm hand on my head, brushing my hair behind my ears.

"Feel better?" His voice was still laced with laughter.

"Enjoying this a little much?" I retorted, wiping a shaky hand across my mouth as I pulled back into the room. Zarek handed me a glass of water and I took a grateful sip.

"Oh, yes. How many times do I get to witness a beautiful woman projectile-vomiting out of the second-story window of an inn?"

I glowered, sitting myself on the bed. "It wasn't _projectile_, thank you very much."

His green eyes twinkled. "If you say so." He paused a moment, eyes flicking down to my chest. "You should probably take your shirt off."

Affronted, I crossed my arms over my chest—promptly placing them in vomit that had managed to find its way onto my shirt. I made a face, looking down at my arms, and Zarek laughed.

"I told you. You're wearing an undershirt, right? Take that shirt off, so I can give it to the innkeep's son to wash." He held out his hand impatiently.

I yawned as I started unbuttoning the shirt, suddenly too tired to care that there was a man standing in my room, watching me undress. After I had purged my stomach, all I really wanted to do was sleep. I finally got my shirt removed and dropped it on the ground before I shoved the blankets aside and fell onto my pillow.

"There you go. G'night," I mumbled sleepily. I heard Zarek chuckle and walk across the room to pick up my shirt. Goosebumps raised on my skin as I felt him tugging the blankets around my shoulders.

"Good night, kitten. We'll talk about my terms of employment tomorrow."

I don't remember what I said to that. I was already more than halfway to dreamland.


	4. Chapter 4

When I woke up the next morning, my head was pounding, my stomach was cramping, and my mouth tasted foul. I groaned and pulled the blankets up over my head to block out the sunlight streaming through the window as I tried to remember the dream I had been having.

The attractive Nightseeker I had seen yesterday had talked to me. He been nice (nice-ish), and helped me out in my drunken stupor. He'd said his name was Zarek.

I sighed. It had been a nice dream, but the sober me knew that Nightseekers weren't kind or nice. I didn't even understand why I was putting that Nightseeker in my delusions. I'd seen him once, and he'd leered at me after terrifying my poor brother. I hadn't even talked to him! I figured drunken minds will do what drunken minds want to do, especially if the person of the delusion was uncommonly attractive.

My body then alerted me that it wasn't quite done with punishing me for over-indulging yesterday, and I lurched out of bed to take care of my morning business.

After I had cleaned up in the wash basin and thoroughly rinsed my mouth several times, I got dressed. When I had left home, I had brought three pairs of clothes, nearly identical, and I pulled out another blouse and plaid skirt. As I dressed, I frowned down at the clothes I had just pulled off. Skirt, leggings, undergarments, camisole… Where was the blouse I'd worn yesterday? I glanced around my room, and noticed it sitting on the dresser, freshly washed and starched. My frown deepened as I placed it in my travel pack. Maybe Grace or Max had come in last night and taken it to be washed?

I pushed the shirt out of my mind as I buckled on my sword belt and grabbed my smaller day pack before heading downstairs to eat breakfast—lunch?—and find my guild mates.

I was relieved to see them sitting at a table in front of the door, large plates of bacon, eggs, warm bread, and porridge in front of them as they discussed something. Grace noticed me first, and waved exuberantly as I wended my way between tables. Glad to see that she didn't have a hangover.

Max gave me a chiding stare as I slid into the chair next to Grace, who set a plate piled high with hash browns and eggs before me. I tried not to gag as I shoved it away; Grace giggled.

"How are you feeling today?" she asked brightly.

"Coffee. And bacon. Nothing else," I grumbled. Grace laughed and Dorian passed me the bacon. Max poured a cup of coffee and set it in front of me, and I gave him a grateful smile. He just rolled his eyes at me.

"We were discussing what we needed to do next," he said, looking back down over some notes he had been scribbling. "We need to see Leo and register our guild, but we need to have a name to do that—"

"Wait." I swallowed my mouthful of bacon, frowning. "We can't register yet. We still need to find our fifth guild mate." My team exchanged confused glances. "What?" I asked.

"We found our fifth guild mate, Molly," Max said. Then it was my turn to be confused.

"What? No we didn't. We left the Dancing Peacock with just Grace, Dorian, and us in the guild."

Dorian frowned. "What do you remember from last night?"

I shrugged. "All of it. You guys left before me, I paid the bill, and I came back to the inn and went to bed." No need to tell them about my sexy delusion, especially Max.

Grace looked skeptical, and opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by a deep voice inflected with seduction and amusement that made me stiffen.

"Oh, you're awake, kitten? I was ever so worried about you after last night."

I turned to look at him as the Nightseeker from yesterday (and my dreams) slid into the seat next to me, wearing a cocky grin.

I scowled at him. "Why are you here?" I asked. He cocked an eyebrow and grinned down at me. Really, it should be illegal to be that attractive.

"Why, kitten, I told you last night that we would discuss my terms of employment today."

I narrowed my gaze at him. "When did that happen?"

His grin widened. "After you removed your blouse, of course."

I felt my face start to burn, and a sputtering sound across from me told me that Max was choking on something. A terrible, clarifying realization came to me.

"You're not a delusion."

Zarek feigned a look of surprise as he looked down at himself, patting his chest. "I'm not? What a pity. My parents will be ever so disappointed." Grace laughed, and I elbowed her.

"What do you mean, _after you removed your blouse_?!" Max hissed.

"I didn't… It wasn't…" I turned on Zarek angrily. "You tell them it was nothing!" Zarek just gave me an infuriating grin, and I had to resist the urge to slap him.

"I vomited on my blouse, and he told me to take it off so it could be washed," I explained through gritted teeth. "I was wearing a camisole, and _nothing else was removed_."

Max breathed a slight sigh of relief, though he was still glaring daggers at the older man. Zarek actually pouted.

"Oh, you do remember last night, then? Shame. I was going to have so much fun with this."

I glared at him. "What do you want?"

Zarek frowned. "I told you. My interview."

"I didn't say I'd give you an interview."

He grinned again. "Nice try, but you need me. Kirtida's an old friend, and I've had a falling out with my old guild. She let me know that there was a brand new guild looking for explorers, and the leader had just left the pub. Naturally, I followed you." He paused, his eyes glittering with mischief. "Of course, I had no way of knowing you would try to kill me."

I gave him a sweet smile of my own. "We don't need you, actually. There are many other free explorers we could recruit." Zarek's grin just widened.

"There is now. But what about after I tell them that your guild is cursed? Or that you've all come down with a highly infectious form of Baboon Pox? Then who would risk joining your guild?"

"You wouldn't," I snarled. My guild mates were watching us quietly.

"Then give me an interview," he said lightly. Zarek propped his chin on his hand, watching me with his jewel-bright eyes. I clenched my fists under the table.

"Fine," I spat; I felt an aggravating flutter in my chest as his eyes brightened, and I stomped it down. "What happened in your last guild?"

The Nightseeker gave a long-suffering sigh. "The leader assaulted my girlfriend, so I assaulted him. I was asked to leave." On the other side of me, Grace laughed, and I glared at her. She cast me an amused smile before returning to her eggs. I turned back to Zarek.

"Girlfriend? That Dancer we saw yesterday?" The questions were out of my mouth before I could stop them, and Zarek gave me a sly smile.

"Yes. Her name is Gabrianna."

"You asked me—" I started hotly, before remembering that we weren't alone. I glanced over at Max, who was watching me with a scowl. When I looked back at Zarek, he had a knowing look on his face, with a smirk to match, and I felt myself flush.

"I did, didn't I? You didn't ask for specifics. Gabrianna and I broke up when she refused to leave the guild. Next question."

I scowled at his demand before asking the next question. "How old are you?"

Zarek cocked an eyebrow. "Move fast, don't you? I haven't even been single a full day."

"You weren't single for _twelve hours_ when you asked me—" Once again, I cut myself off as I remembered that my guild was around us. "Just answer the question." I could practically feel Max's blood pressure rising across the table as I left him out again. I would have some serious explaining to do to my little brother later.

"Twenty-one." His green eyes roved around the table, and he smirked slightly when he caught the look on Max's face. "How old are my future guild mates?"

I fought back the urge to tell him that he wasn't part of my guild as I answered him. He looked surprised to learn that I was only seventeen, and I ignored the pang in my chest. I also told him what he would be paid, which didn't shock him near as much as my age had.

Zarek also had no problem with working under a girl, though the twinkle in his eye indicated that he was thinking of something other than "work".

After that, I sent him to another table so that I could discuss things with my guild. As soon as he had left, Max started with the questions.

"What did he ask you last night?"

I ignored him as I asked a question of my own. "What do you guys think?"

Grace shrugged and glanced at Zarek where he was talking to Dalla, the innkeeper. "I've heard of him. He's a pretty good fighter, but his arrogance usually causes problems with people."

Dorian studied me quietly. "You don't remember meeting him last night?"

I winced as I thought best how to explain my obvious not-a-delusion from last night. "Kind of? I thought it was a dream or something… He followed me back from the pub, and helped me up to my room." Max cast a glare at me.

"And you removed your blouse."

"It's okay, Max," Grace soothed him. "Zarek came by my room after he dropped her off, and I checked on her. She was fine."

I scowled. "Speaking of, when did he tell you that he was part of our guild?"

Grace cast me a sheepish grin. "Last night… And I kind of told Dori and Max this morning…"

Dorian's eyebrows raised at being called 'Dori,' but he didn't address it.

I took another sip of my coffee, casting a glance at Zarek by the counter. He was now drinking his own coffee, staring off into space. The sunlight coming through the window played in his hair, making silver highlights glitter along the length of it. I turned back to Grace and Dorian.

"Max had no way of knowing better, but you two didn't think about questioning why some stranger would tell you that, and not me?"

Grace sighed good-naturedly, resuming her eggs. "He really isn't that bad of a person, Em." I scowled. _Em?_ "I told you, he stopped by my room last night. And yeah, he's arrogant, but he really was concerned about you. Not to mention, he's funny." She gave a sly grin and elbowed me. "And he's really sexy…"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, he's funny and sexy. And he's arrogant. _And_ he's a playboy. I thought we only wanted one of those things, not both."

Dorian spoke up. "Zarek's really intelligent, too, especially when it comes to strategy, but he can be reckless with his own safety. With such a young and inexperienced Medic—" he gave Max an apologetic smile— "a reckless guild mate might not be the best choice."

Of course, Max didn't like that. "I am not inexperienced! If he wants to be reckless and gets hurt, I can heal him!" He looked at me scowling. "He's a jerk, but I can handle it."

I narrowed my eyes. I had the distinct feeling I had just been played. When nobody said anything else, and just looked at me expectantly, I sighed.

"Fine! But I'm making it clear that I was against this from the beginning!"

And I got up to go tell Zarek the Nightseeker that he was part of our guild.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Zarek wasn't looking directly at the table, but he still knew when Molly got up and began walking toward him. The little Landsknecht intrigued him, and he made it a point to know where she was in the room at any given moment. She'd caught his attention yesterday when she'd glared at him for scowling at the kid. She was tiny, smaller than most girls her age, but she had an attitude that made her seem a lot bigger. And that intrigued him.

The falling out with Gabrianna and the Crows, his old guild, had been a coincidence. Kirtida telling him Molly needed a specialist had been an even happier coincidence. Finding out that Molly was the girl he'd seen earlier that same morning had been the best part of his day, and after talking to her, he was going to make sure he was part of her guild.

Of course, her tiny frame and soft curves had helped him make that decision. Her beguiling blue eyes had sealed the deal.

Zarek pulled himself out of his musings as she sat stiffly at the counter next to him and he turned to her, grinning.

"Kitten! Of course I'll accept your offer to join your guild!"

Molly scowled, fidgeting. "Did you eavesdrop?"

"Nope." He left it at that and turned back to his coffee.

Molly continued to fidget, and Zarek waited patiently for her to start talking again.

He didn't have to wait long.

"Do you prefer front-line or back-line?" she asked quietly.

Zarek grinned triumphantly. "Why, wherever you are, kitten."

Molly stiffened. "And why is that?"

Zarek looked down at her for a few minutes before glancing over his shoulder. Grace and Dorian were in discussion about something, but Max was watching him and Molly intently. The kid was tall, but Zarek knew he was young.

"The kid. Max? He's your little brother, kitten?" Molly looked momentarily surprised before nodding slowly. Zarek looked back down at her.

"He's all you have?" Molly's gaze darted to Max and back again, and Zarek saw the protective gleam in her eyes.

"How did you know that?" she asked in a harsh, worried whisper. Zarek involuntarily winced as painful memories assaulted him, and he pushed Harper and Elodie out of his mind. He saw no reason to tell Molly the answer to that question; not yet, at least.

"You'll want him protected. A Landsknecht and a Fortress protecting him are near unbeatable, but another person on the front-line would be even better."

Molly finally met his gaze fully, her brows furrowed, and her midnight-blue eyes searching for something in his face. "That's very kind of you…" she finally said. Then she nodded. "We can put you on the front-line. Thank you."

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I was taken aback at the smile Zarek gave me. It wasn't mocking, or sly, or filled with innuendo. It was a genuinely happy smile, and it transformed his face. He stood up and picked up my hand, bending over to kiss the back of it.

"Let us return to our guild, then! We have so much work to do!" And he left me sitting at the counter, thinking. I'd seen something pass over his face when I'd asked him how he knew I had to protect Max. Maybe there was more to this arrogant Nightseeker than I thought…


End file.
